Reviews by tenacioustomato:

More User Reviews:

I love Lagunitas and I've never seen this one before so I had to pick it up.

A - Beautiful dark ruby color. Clear with a huge white head and stong lacing.

S - Sweet hop character that is fruity almost like fresh sweet blueberries. There are also the some of the more traditional citrus and herbal hop tones. There is a rich maltiness under the hops with some light alcohol and caramel in the background. It has a traditional ESB, fruity yeast character but to the next level.

T - The taste also has that almost berry taste with a sweet fruitiness that comes from the yeast, the malt, and the hops all melding together in one fine beer. It is definitely an American Strong ale with the richness and the hops to try and duke it out on your palate. The fruity yeast and hops are more predominant on the tongue with the malty, grainy, and caramel flavors mixing well together. There is a bitterness that attempts to compliment the sweetness and is clean on the finish.

M - High to medium mouth-feel with medium to high carbonation. For being almost 10% ABV and a very sweet flavor I would expect this beer to be almost cloying but with the higher carbonation and hop bitterness it does not stick but instead just teases your tongue asking for more.

Overall, a really delicious beer and definitely a unique American Strong ale. Not as overtly powerful as Bastard nor as malty as Hairy Eyeball but is very good and is balanced enough to have more than one of (although the alcohol will sneak up on you.) This is the perfect beer for early spring with plenty of flavor to awaken your soul but enough alcohol to warm you toes.

Beautiful clear copper color, with a fluffy two-finger head that lasted a good five minutes, great lacing all the way down the glass. Lots of flowery aromas up front, along with a touch of grapefruit and a slightly soapy smell. The flavor had lots of grapefruit and onion up front, with a sweet caramel flavor in the background, very nice combo, with a bit of lingering alcohol. The mouthfeel was medium bodied, with some good carbonation prickliness on the tongue. Overall, it really like this beer, bitter up front with a nice sweet backbone.

Lagunitas Undercover Investigation Shut-Down Ale [WOW! that is a long beer name] body color is an amber with a 1 1/2-finger creamy off-white head that had good retention. The head finally reduced to a latticework of lacing. The nose was dominated by citrus hops. The taste also had a dominate hop character [grapefruit, pine] with some peppery alcohol and just enough malt to keep the Ale from being too hoppy. The mouth feel was medium and smooth. There was a nice warming alcohol presence. The finish is dry and has a lingering hoppy and spicy bitterness.

If you like assertive hops, Undercover is for you. Nicely done Lagunitas..

A: Pours a clear burnt orange, leaning towards the dimmer side. Two fingers of light khaki head with an aggressive pour, slow to fade, and lots of sticky lacing. Classically good looking, just with some bonus head for a ASA.

T: Loads of sweet caramel malt, toasted biscuit, and a significant amount of hop bitterness as well. A drying citrus rind flavor, sharp... manages to cut into the malt without overpowering it.

M: Smooth with the faintest touch of carbonation. Thick and chewy without feeling heavy. If it wasn't for the high ABV I could easily put back a couple of these before feeling palette fatigue.

O: Quite the interesting beer. A bit of a Jekyll and Hyde. A big, robust, malt bomb of a strong ale... with a hefty serving of hops thrown in for good measure. Mouth puckering sweetness, but also bitter drying citrus. I have always enjoyed this beer, but it is not one for the faint of heart. Its big, it changes minute by minute as it warms, and at 9+% it will end you before you know it.

One of the single worst tasting beverages I've ever had. Slick, oily mouthfeel coats the tongue and doesn't let go. Cloyingly piney, "What the hell am I drinking?" reaction after first sip. Overdone on every level - I don't understand what this beer is trying to be.

Pours a dark orange red copper bronze color with a two finger white great. The nose reminds me a lot of belgian ale. Coriander, cloves, orange peel, brandy, hard candy. The flavor is equal parts spice and sweet. The mouthfeel is fairly thick and creamy. This is a unique beer. However, i find it a bit sweet for my taste. I could use some more IBU.

Reviewing yet another Lagunitas American strong ale.Pourd into a tulip glass a clear bronze color with a thinner but well sustained slight off white head,aromas were a bit lighter than expected,mainly some resinous hop and sweetish alcohol.Thinner feel for a "bigger" beer and a little prickly.Flavors dont seem to pack enough punch although that could come from the lighter feel,resinous hop intertwined with a hefty caramel malt base,the alcohol creeps as the beer warms.I love this brewery, but I dont love this beer sad to say.

On tap at local Flying Saucer Emporium. Pours dark amber red. Little to no head with tan color. Lacing on glass very pronounced. Taste is malty and sweet with an alcohol warmth on the back end. Aroma is pine and grapefruit. Delicious DIPA will definitely try again.

Lagunitas has great beers, however this was not one of my favorites. I just felt the beer could have been better balanced for the 9.3 percent ABV. I was slightly disappointed, as it was very boozy tasting. Just my perspective, as I see solid ratings below. Just not my favorite and won't buy again.

Lagunitas Sneak Release Undercover Investigation Shut-Down Ale pours a clear orange red with a nice creamy head that lingers for quite a while. From the moment I opened the bottle I was hit with big citrusy hop aroma, grapefruit, and pine backed up with a good amount of malt sweetness. The sweetness is predominate in the flavor, lots of caramel and toffee, but there is no lack of citrusy hop flavor. There is a nice bitterness that rounds out the beer, but not overpowering for the beers strength. A bit of alcohol comes through in the finish, but not too much for a beer of the strength.

A: Poured into a snifter, this meanderingly monikered beer has a ruby-copper color and a near one-finger head that leaves thin retention. The look of the lacing is okay, with medium stickiness.

S: Sweet hop fuel. Melon and honey aromas smack a piney hop presence and create a glorious scent. Basically every fruit in existence can be found in the smell of this beer. My girlfriend and I concur that the smell is somewhat reminiscent of Hopslam.

T: The melon and honey sweetness that I smelled runs in step with a ball-busting pine and citrus hop bitterness throughout the duration of each sip. I like this beer quite a lot, but being very critical, I would say that the sweetness is just a tad hot and there is also a noticeable streak of alcohol.

M: Pretty light-bodied with a low to medium carbonation in U.C.I.S-d.A. (had to do that) but the full sweetness and tongue assaulting hops make up for these attributes and make this an exciting feel.

D: Dangerously drinkable, I would say. I can definitely taste the 9.75 % alcohol, but it does not affect how easily this one goes down. I will have more of these over time. The only possible downfall of the drinkability would be the obvious sweetness in the taste.